Constitution

In force from the Inaugural AGM of 10th July 2013:

The Society shall be known as “Cowbridge History Society”.

The object of the Society shall be to advance the education of the general public by promoting the study of the history of Cowbridge and district. In furtherance of the above object but not further or otherwise:

the Society shall make the history of Cowbridge and district accessible through the publication of material relevant to the history of the area and the provision of a programme of lectures and visits.

the Society shall encourage the preservation and protection of the area’s heritage.

the Society shall do all such lawful acts or things as are necessary for the above object in collaboration with any person, body, institution, authority or otherwise.

the Society shall establish a fund to promote the publication and study of historical records relevant to Cowbridge and district.

Membership of the Society shall be open to any person or institution interested in the fulfilment of the Society’s objects, on payment of an annual subscription, the amount of which shall be determined at annual meetings of the Society. Members will receive the privilege of purchasing copies of the Society’s publications at a discount of not less than twenty per cent off the cover price of such publications.

The Society shall have power to accept donations for any purpose not inconsistent with its objects, and may make special appeals for funds to be used in connection with any such purpose.

The management of the Society shall be vested in a committee consisting of a President, Chairperson, Secretary, Publications Officer, Programme Secretary, and Treasurer (who shall be Officers of the Society) and five ordinary members elected annually. Any of the Officer posts may be held jointly by not more than two persons, at the discretion of the membership. Not more than two additional persons may be co-opted on to the committee each year.

The committee shall meet on no fewer than two occasions in the year. At committee meetings, six members shall constitute a quorum, of whom at least two shall be Officers of the Society.

The President, Chairperson, Secretary, Publications Officer, Programme Secretary and Treasurer shall hold office at the discretion of the Society.

The Chairperson for the time being of the Society shall be the chairperson at general meetings and committee meetings. In the absence of the chairperson, another officer shall be elected by the committee to chair the meeting.

The financial year of the Society shall end on the 5th April. An Annual General Meeting shall be convened by the Secretary not more than ninety days thereafter, 21 days’ notice being given in writing by the Secretary to each member, to receive the annual

reports of the Society’s officers, to receive and adopt the balance sheet, to conduct such elections as may be necessary and to conduct such other business as may be necessary, ten days’ notice of such business being given in writing to the Secretary.

All nominations for officers and committee members must be received by the Secretary within ten days of the Annual General Meeting, such nominations being signed by a member of the Society and by the persons therein nominated. All elections shall be by secret ballot of the members present at the Annual General Meeting.

The Secretary, or another member of the committee appointed to do so, shall keep minutes of all committee meetings and general meetings of the Society, which the Chairperson for the time being shall sign as a true and accurate record of the business transacted at such meetings after the said minutes have been approved by the committee, or in the case of minutes of a General Meeting, by the members present at the next General Meeting.

An extraordinary General Meeting of the Society may be convened by the committee at any time, ten days’ notice in writing being given by the Secretary to members.

An extraordinary General Meeting of the Society shall be convened by the Secretary on receipt of a request to do so from not less than ten members of the Society.

This Constitution may be amended at a General Meeting of the Society by a resolution passed by no fewer than three-quarters of the membership there present and voting, save that no amendment shall be made to Clause 2, this Clause and Clause 14 without the consent of the Charity Commissioners or which would cause the Society to cease to be a charity in law.

All matters not hereinbefore provided for, and not involving any amendment to the Constitution, shall be dealt with by the Committee of the Society.

The Society may be dissolved by a Resolution passed by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting at a Special General Meeting convened for the purpose of which twenty-one days’ notice shall have been given to the members. Such resolution may give instructions for the disposal of any assets held by or in the name of the Society provided that if any property remains after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities such property shall not be paid to or distributed among the members of the Society but shall be given or transferred to such other charitable institution or institutions having similar objects to some or all of the objects of the Society as the Society may determine and if and in so far as effect cannot be given to this provision, then to some other charitable purpose.